| Today's oil and gas industry workers,
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| | between 30,000 and 40,000 feet before
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| including geologists who find crude oil
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| | needing to be replaced.Rotary drilling
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| and natural gas deposits; site
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| | allows the use of fluids or drilling mud
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| supervisors who oversee field operations;
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| | as rock is chipped away. The fluid washes
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| and refiners, use computers and other
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| | out the drill hole as it goes, making the
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| technology to make their work easier,
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| | process more efficient. The fluid also
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| more efficient and less costly. And doing
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| | stops an oil well from bursting forth
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| that is becoming easier as more and more
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| | unexpectedly (known as a "gusher").
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| technology is developed. Large oil
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| | In the best conditions, nature helps
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| companies have a definite advantage when
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| | oilfield workers bring their find to the
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| it comes to using technology, since
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| | surface after a well is drilled. After an
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| advanced technology costs more than small
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| | initial surge, either large or small,
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| companies can afford. A lot of the
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| | pressure in the reserve decreases,
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| technological innovations are not
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| | meaning other methods must be used to get
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| feasible except for big oil companies.
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| | the rest.
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| But some pieces of technology are
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| | One of those methods is artificial lift.
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| available to all, and even the small
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| | With this method, a pump sucks oil into
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| companies have latched onto them. Some of
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| | tubing which then feeds into a storage
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| the top technologies in drilling include
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| | container on ground level. Several years
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| logging while drilling, horizontal
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| | back, walking beams-arms which pump back
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| drilling, "smart" drill bits, and new
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| | and forth like a teeter-totter to suck
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| methods for recovering oil. Basic forms
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| | the oil upward were a common site in
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| of logging while drilling, where a
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| | Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, California
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| driller views the inside of the hole
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| | and other oil-producing states. Another
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| being drilled in one way or another, have
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| | form of artificial lift involves pumping
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| been around for some time. Logging is
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| | gas bubbles into oil to decrease its
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| used here in the form that you log, or
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| | density, making it lighter and thereby
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| check and write up, what is happening as
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| | allowing reservoir pressure to pump it
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| it occurs. Keeping track of what you are
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| | out. Both of these methods leave much oil
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| hitting or missing helps in future
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| | in the reservoir, meaning other methods
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| drilling. There are various techniques of
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| | must be employed to get the rest.
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| logging. Such techniques make drilling
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| | Water or gas injection are also
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| more efficient, meaning less money is
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| | alternative methods of bringing the oil
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| spent on getting to crude oil, which
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| | to the surface. With gas injection into
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| eventually could lower consumer prices
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| | the top of the reservoir, a gas cap
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| for oil-related products, such as
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| | forms, forcing oil to the bottom and then
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| gasoline.
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| | pressuring it out. To use water flooding,
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| Not all oil deposits are readily
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| | water must be entered into another well
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| accessible to a traditional vertical
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| | site connected to the well being worked
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| well. In fact, in recent years many oil
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| | on. The water floods into all wells,
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| wells have been dug starting on one piece
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| | forcing oil to the top, since oil floats
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| of land and crossing underneath a body of
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| | on water. To see this, take any common
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| water to another piece of land to reach
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| | oil, such as the kind found in most
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| the deposit.
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| | kitchens, and pour some into a cup of
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| Surface drilling equipment is offset from
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| | water. The two fluids stay separate with
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| the oil deposit. At the start of the
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| | the oil on top even after vigorous
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| drill process, the well is drilled
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| | mixing.
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| vertically, then a few degrees at a time
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| | Natural gas can be pumped into a
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| it turns whichever direction is needed to
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| | reservoir to mix with the oil, making it
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| hit the deposit. Sometimes the arc of the
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| | light enough to flow. Another option is
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| well is great, other times less,
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| | to use a surfactant or soap-like
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| depending on how sharp a turn has to be
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| | substance ahead of water and behind the
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| made.
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| | oil. The substance forms a barrier around
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| The drilling part that actually tears or
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| | the oil, and water behind the substance
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| chips away at soil, rock and other
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| | pushes the oil to the surface. The soapy
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| materials as a well is dug, called a
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| | substance also ensures a thorough
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| drill bit, is an essential tool to
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| | gathering of oil.
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| drilling a well. In recent years,
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| | Heat also can be used to get oil flowing.
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| technology advancements have made such
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| | Up to a million times thicker than water,
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| tools more capable, longer lasting and
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| | oil can be thinned by blasting steam into
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| less expensive. Newer bits, which have
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| | the reservoir. Water is first pumped off,
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| carbide teeth and are specially designed
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| | then oil is gathered.
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| for different types of material, can go
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